Night street food in Penang

Top 5 night street food in Penang to ease your hunger

Penang – Pearl of the Orient is well known as a multicultural hub where Malaysian, Chinese and Indian culture shall meet. This unique feature is well presented in its cuisine. In order to explore some aspects of Penang culture in particular and Malaysian culture in general, our Top 5 night street food in Penang below will help you out.

1. Assam laksa (soup noodle)

 

Assam laksa (soup noodle)

The food is said to be adopted by Peranakan who are Chinese people once lived in Malacca. Assam laksa is a kind of noodle with the main ingredients from fish-based broth, tamarind juice, chilli paste, lemongrass with some prawn paste and mackerel flakes. Interestingly, the secret ingredient making the unique flavor for this street food in Penang is ginger buds. Added that, assam laksa is often served with many kinds of vegetables and local herbs boosting the featured flavor for the food.
Some highly recommend stores you can head to are:

• Air Itam Laksa is located at Jalan Pasar, 11500 Ayer Itam, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. The store is often closed on Tuesdays.
• Laksalicious is located at 123 Hutton Lane, 10050 Penang George Town.
• Jelutong Food truck is located at 93 Lorong Ipoh, Taman Jelutong, 11600 Pulau, Penang.

2. Char koay teow (stirred-fried rice noodle)

 

Char koay teow (stirred-fried rice noodle)

Coming next in our Top 5 street food in Penang is char koay teow. This is a kind of stirred-fried rice noodle soup. This food is so popular and famous in Penang that if you haven’t tried it when in here, it doesn’t mean that you have visited Penang Island.

The ingredients of the food includes: flat rice noodles stir fried in charcoal-fired work with fat supple prawns, duck eggs, cockles, crunchy bean sprouts, strips of fish cake and chilli paste. To boost the flavor, some pieces of pork lard and some sweet barbecued pork slices are added into the char koay teow bowl.

With about 3.5 ringgits (about US$ 0.88), you can try this yummy food. Head to some of the addresses below to enjoy the food:

• Kafe Ping Hooi is located at 179, Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang,
• Yi Garden is located at 150-152, Jalan Macalister, George Town, 10300 Pulau Pinang,
• Restaurant Tong Hooi is located at Jalan Dato Keramat, Kampung Makam, 10150 Pulau Pinang.

3. Hokkien mee (Hokkien Noodle)

 

Hokkien mee (Hokkien Noodle)

Hokkien mee is one kind of noodle which was originated from Fujian Province in China. This kind of street food in Penang is made from the special noodle cooked with meat-based broth served with some pork slices, fish cake slivers, crispy deep shallots, bean sprouts and red chilli paste. Hokkien mee has a bit strong spicy flavor but diners still can feel the sweetness underlying the food which makes the food unique and widely favorite among travelers.
The food costs about 3.5 ringgits (about US$ 0.88). The most favorite address is 888 Hokkien Mee, located along Lebuh Presgrave in Georgetown. The store opens from 17:30 – 23:45 from Friday to Wednesday.

4. Rojak pasembur (vegetable salad)

 

Rojak pasembur (vegetable salad)

We now switch to other more vegetable-based dish. Rojak pasembur is a kind of vegetable salad which is best fit to balance your taste after trying some spicy and rather fatty dishes. The main vegetables for this food include fresh cucumber slices, fat squares of tofu, crunchy bean sprouts, turnip shreds, chunks of hardboiled egg and crispy prawn cracker crusts, drizzled with thick, slightly spicy and nutty gravy. When enjoying the food, you can feel all tastes such as sour, spicy, savory, juicy. The recommended address is the store at GP Soon, Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, 172 Persiaran Gurney. You just need to pay 7 ringgits (US$1.760) for each pax.

5. Cendol (sweet soup)

 

Cendol (sweet soup)

Another option on the list of top 5 night street food in Penang calls for cendol or chendul (sweet soup). This is a perfect dessert after you have tried many spicy-infused foods in Penang. Each bowl of the food is made of coconut milk and pandan-flavored green flour jelly noodles and brown sugar on the top with some shaved ice. 

Head to the store at 27 & 29 Lebuh Keng Kwee (beside Jooi Hooi Café, off Jalan Penang) to enjoy the Penang Road Famous Chendul – called by locals. The store opens from 10:30 – 19:00, Monday to Friday. Guess what, you just need to pay 1.5 ringgits (US$ 0.38) to enjoy such a tasty cendol bowl.

All of the 5 foods are served during the day. But it is a great option for you to try them at night while you are wandering around Penang. So how many of these foods you will take on your own night street food in Penang? To read more information about the beautiful Penang, refer to our related articles below:

1. Things to do in Penang at night
2. Top tourist attractions in Penang Malaysia